SEATTLE — In late May, Greg Moriarty officially presented his credentials to President Donald Trump as Australia’s representative in Washington. However, it was not until mid-June that Moriarty met one of the key U.S. officials he needed to connect with: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, whose department is crucial in managing critical-minerals agreements between the two nations.
The meeting between Moriarty and Wright did not occur at the Energy Department’s headquarters near the National Mall in Washington or at any of its numerous facilities nationwide. Instead, the two met at Lumen Field in Seattle during a vital World Cup match between their countries, where Wright headed the U.S. delegation. This event provided a significant opportunity for Moriarty to build connections in his new role.
“The United States is a very sports-mad country, so is Australia, so [it’s] a great opportunity to get to know them on a different level, because you might touch on one or two items of business,” Moriarty said in an interview. “But it’s generally just so that you can both enjoy the spectacle and the connection that we both have through sports.”
Moriarty also had the chance to introduce himself to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is particularly intriguing to Australians due to the country’s strict Covid-era lockdowns, as well as to various members of Congress present at the event. With experience as a defense secretary and national security adviser, Moriarty aims to maintain Washington’s focus on the Indo-Pacific region, amidst shifting attention to areas like the Arctic, Caribbean, and Persian Gulf.
“The United States is a superpower. It clearly has global commitments and global responsibilities,” said Moriarty. “But Australia, we think that the United States’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific is very solid.”
In Seattle, Moriarty prioritized business matters, confronting a new 12.5 percent tariff imposed by the Trump administration on countries accused of inadequate measures against slave labor in their supply chains. At the Edgewater Hotel along the waterfront, during an event by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and the State Department, Moriarty engaged with corporate leaders. These included Microsoft’s Australian-raised Deputy General Counsel Antony Cook, who has been instrumental in the company’s AI regulation strategy, and Mikaël Limapalaër from the major pension fund Australian Super, to discuss the future trajectory of bilateral trade relations.
Unlike many of his predecessors, Moriarty stands out among Australia’s ambassadors to Washington for not having a political background, with his immediate predecessor, Kevin Rudd, having served as the prime minister. Yet, Moriarty has already demonstrated an adept ability to blend economic connections, military alliances, and cultural ties. At one point, he connected an upcoming National Football League game in Melbourne with the arrival of nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS security partnership.
“We’re really keen to sort of see how we can use American football to grow an audience in Australia, that will again be really good for the business connections and the people-to-people connections,” said Moriarty.
“Australia will be ready to host the first rotation of U.S. submarines by the end of next year, and we’re hoping that all the Americans who come down to and live down in Western Australia bring their own love of football.”
